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PI SCOOP ... BROWN TO KEEP D.C. TOEHOLD: Sen. Scott Brown may not be returning to Congress next year, but that doesn't mean he's forgetting his inside-the-Beltway friends. The Massachusetts Republican sent out "thank you" invite for a Dec. 11 morning coffee at the National Republican Senatorial Committee's headquarters.

"If anyone is still thinking that Scott Brown is leaving Washington for good, this should dispel that," one PI tipster noted, saying it was wise for Brown to keep his supporters intact. "Sen. Brown and the campaign team are so grateful for your generous support," the invite reads. "As Scott said along the campaign trail, the best way to thank you is to bring home a win. Unfortunately, a different path was chosen for Massachusetts and our country."

PI SCOOP … DAVIS TO PARTNER WITH BATES: Former Rep. Geoff Davis (R-Ky.) is joining forces with Republican lobbyist Hunter Bates to launch Republic Consulting. Davis, who was first elected in 2004, resigned this summer, citing a family medical issue. This isn't the first stint downtown for the former senior House Ways and Means Committee member. Before being elected to office, Davis ran consulting firm Capstone, Inc.

Bates left C2 Group in August to restart his lobby shop Bates Capitol Group. Since then, he's signed several clients, including the Brown-Forman Corporation, Biotechnology Industry Organization, Amgen USA, Altria Client Services and the Alliance of Automobile Manufacturers, among others. His firm will roll into Republic Consulting on Jan. 1.

VETERAN INFLUENCER STARTING LOBBYING SEARCH FIRM:Justin LeBlanc, a former legislative aide to Sen. Patty Murray (D-Wash.), is launching LobbyWise, a firm designed to help clients select the right lobbyist. LeBlanc says his firm, which will be located on Capitol Hill, will offer services ranging from researching the best lobbyists for a specific job to making requests for proposal-writing to “complete management of the solicitation process.”

LeBlanc has served as vice president of government relations for the National Fisheries Institute and also worked for Strategies 360 and Petrizzo Strategic Group.

DISPARATE LOBBYING GROUPS HIT CAPITOL HILL ON BUDGET, TAX ISSUES: More than 100 union members and leaders of the Service Employees International Union from 24 states — along with dozens of members from other unions — are on Capitol Hill today to lobby against cuts to entitlements and education. The lobbying event is being held in coordination with the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees, AFL-CIO and the National Education Association.

The American Association of Orthopaedic Surgeons is also on the Hill today, having scheduled meetings with 15 congressional offices — including seven with members themselves. The fiscal cliff’s potential effects on orthopaedic issues will be their top topic of discussion, with particular emphasis on preventing physician payment cuts and Medicare reimbursement reductions that could be triggered at the year’s end. Joshua Jacobs, the group’s first vice president, will in part lead a delegation of 11 members. The association is a powerful force among medical lobbies, spending at least $1 million on federal lobbying efforts each year since 2004, congressional records show.

Meanwhile,clean energy campaign Operation Free is expected to host a bipartisan press conference with Sen. Mark Udall (D-Colo.), Sen. Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa), Rep. Jerry McNerney (D-Calif.), Rep. Steve King (R-Iowa) and veterans from across the country Wednesday afternoon to call for extending the Wind Production Tax Credit, which is set to expire at the end of the year.

The press conference is part of a two-day fly-in for about 40 veterans, many of whom have been working in the wind energy industry since returning home. Veterans will meet with members of Congress from their home states to urge them to extend the tax credit.

A happy hump day to you, PI faithful, and a particularly happy one for comedian and political satirist Jon Stewart, who hits the big 5-0 today. In addition to hosting Comedy Central’s The Daily Show, Stewart has written tomes that include “America (The Book): A Citizen’s Guide to Democracy Inaction.”

It’s not our birthdays, but the holidays are upon us, so send presents in the form of tips, hints, suggestions and fundraising invitations to dlevinthal@politico.com and apalmer@politico.com. We’d love to connect with you on Twitter, too — @apalmerdc and @davelevinthal. And Tarini is tparti@politico.com / @tparti.

Thanks for reading, and now, back to the day's top influence industry news …

SPOTTED: House Majority Leader Eric Cantor (R-Va.) was spotted last night huddled in a booth at Bourbon Steak in the Four Seasons with top Cantor staffer Kristi Way, and former top aides John Murray, now at YG Action Fund, and Rob Collins of Purple Strategies, according to a PI tipster.

STRATEGAS FINDS LOBBYING UP: Strategas Research Partners' lobbying index is up 13.4 percent year-to-date and is on pace to beat the S&P 500 for the 15th consecutive year. The firm bases its results on a lobbying index which includes 50 companies that exhibit the highest lobbying intensity as determined by a proprietary formula. The firm tells PI that sequestration could impact the year-end final results. Companies added to the lobbying index based on third-quarter data includes: Alexion Pharmaceuticals; Biogen Idec; Cummins; Dun & Bradstreet; Mylan; WPX Energy; and Yahoo!. Removed from the index: DeVry; Dow Chemical; Expedia; Kellogg; United Technologies; Varian Medical Systems; and Williams Companies. Read The Economist’s take on the index here: http://econ.st/qnLYiS

BUSINESS GROUPS SEND LEADERS TAX REFORM MISSIVE: More than three dozen business associations, including the American Farm Bureau Federation, the Automotive Aftermarket Industry Association, the Food Marketing Institute and others, sent congressional leaders a letter Tuesday, pushing for "comprehensive tax reform that lowers rates on all forms of business income while enacting significant entitlement reforms that put the federal budget on a sustainable fiscal path."

Their ask: Avoid raising marginal tax rates on employers as part of the fiscal cliff and larger Tax Code overhaul. The National Retail Federation, National Restaurant Association, United States Chamber of Commerce and the Wine & Spirits Wholesalers of America, are also on the letter.

HOW TO USE YOUR CAMPAIGN CASH WHEN COMING, GOING: The Federal Election Commission issued a friendly reminder to incoming and outgoing congressmen on how they may use their campaign accounts for moving expenses, noting that those with a one-way ticket out of D.C. may “use campaign funds to pay temporary storage costs associated with the move back” home because such costs are “incurred in connection with … duties as a holder of federal office and not an illegal ‘personal use’ of campaign funds.” Such expenses must be publicly reported.

Moreover, the commission cites a standing advisory opinion in noting that a “senator-elect could use campaign funds to pay the expense of moving himself and his family to Washington, D.C., for similar reasons, and with the costs similarly reported.”

FOR YOUR CALENDARS: The Washington Network Group is planning a “holiday networking reception” from 6-9 p.m. Dec. 12 at the Lima Restaurant & Lounge at 1401 K St. in downtown D.C. The event is targeted at lobbyists, government affairs pros, businesspeople and government workers, and tickets start at $15. Registration details: http://bit.ly/U0VhHq

• David Axelrod said he expected super PACs to continue to play a role in the next elections, saying he “could not advise the Democratic Party to, as a matter of principle, to just lay down arms and get mowed down in the next election,” reports John McCormick of Bloomberg News. http://bloom.bg/YmIXsL

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